1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of plumbing kits and more particularly to an improved system and method for establishing plumbing kit specifications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Plumbing kits are used in the marine industry and other industries for the quick installation of plastic or other plumbing systems. In particular, plumbing kits using quick connection sections of plastic hose or tubing are commonly installed aboard boats and recreational vehicles (RVs). In these installations, multiple segments of hose or tubing are used to interconnect plumbing components such as pumps, valves, manifolds, through-hull fittings, aerators, and many other types of equipment. Hose segments are generally cut to length at the time of installation in the boat or RV. Typically, this requires that for each segment installed, a piece of hose or tube is cut that is longer than needed for the final installation. One end of this hose or tube is then installed with a hose clamp or by other means, and the other end is trimmed to the exact length. Finally the second end is clamped or connected. This prior art method leads to a substantial waste of hose or tubing material, typically in excess of 15%; also installation time is substantial, because the process must be repeated for every segment installed. In addition, leaks at clamped joints are common and must be reworked, sometimes causing the entire segment to be re-cut and re-installed.
Quick connecting plumbing kits such as those manufactured by FlowRite Controls, Ltd. of Grand Rapids Michgan, and sold under the trademark QWIK-LOK, are being used extensively to attach hose and tubing without clamps. Kits are being sold that use these types of fittings, and many boat manufacturers have adapted these types of plumbing assemblies for all of the plumbing in all of their boat models. However, the problem described above still remains—namely, developing hose length specifications for all the different boat models of a particular manufacturer is a substantial undertaking in terms of engineering time and is fraught with inaccuracies and errors. There are generally two ways currently in use for determining hose segment lengths: 1) For each boat model, all of the hose segments are installed in the way previously described, and then all of the hoses removed and measured. Each hose segment's length is recorded, and the segment is re-installed. 2) Lengths are pre-measured for each segment, and each segment is cut extra-long to a recorded length. The hoses are installed, and each segment is cut to the correct length to finish the assembly. The cut-off waste pieces are then measured, and their lengths are subtracted from the recorded lengths for the segment to determine the true length. Both methods are slow and subject to considerable error. For example, errors occur because hose segments can be up to eighteen feet in length, and measurements taken on the assembly line are inconsistent and imprecise. Also, hose has a natural curl that can seriously affect the accuracy measurements. Hose is also quite elastic, and if pulled to straighten the curl, can stretch significantly, particularly in longer length segments.
It would be advantageous to have an system and method for establishing plumbing kit specifications for the lengths of each segment in a kit that would overcome the errors and tremendous engineering time presently encountered in determining those lengths.